Still I Rise
by Peachy-Clementine
Summary: A teenage girl is separated from Clementine in Savannah. Being by herself, she has time to recollect on the loss of her love back at the Motor Inn. When circumstances go south, people come to rescue her from near death. Even if she loses her mind, she still has her luck - and her good aim with a shot gun. Travis/OC, Nick/OC based story.
1. Chapter 1

**Character Summary: Travis is a character encountered in episode 2 of season 1 of The Walking Dead Game when first meeting Ben and their teacher Mr. Parker. The unpopular determinant is to leave Mr. Parker in the bear trap and Travis is shot in the process. Making him the one that grabs Katjaa back at the Motor Inn almost immediately after returning from the woods.**

_Did you want to see me broken?_  
_Bowed head and lowered eyes._  
_Shoulders falling down like tear drops._  
_Weakened by my soulful cries._

I missed people. People in general that is. I haven't been alone for very long, a month tops.

Damn, a month? Maybe less, no, longer than that. Fuck I don't even know anymore. The days seemed to mold together into one long, repeated scenario. I was living my biggest fear. Something that I never thought would happen. Safety in numbers should be true. Right?

I don't even know anymore. I don't know much anymore. It's like every time you stab one of those contradicting forms - the walking dead - right in between the eyes, you're the one to lose brain cells. Your common sense. All your brain goes on after almost two years of this shit is how to survive. There's no compassion, no love, you're only to think of your well being.

No doubt, I figured out that loving people just slows you down and leads to pain and unnecessary flashbacks; but it was almost too late.

I was walking North. Near Columbus, Georgia, I cut through a spacious forest, hoping that nothing could sneak up on me with all these dead leaves crunching underneath anything and everything's feet. I tried to keep my mind on moving forward toward South Carolina, but I couldn't stop thinking of Travis.

I couldn't leave his side. Even after we... "Took him out" I couldn't bear to look, but I couldn't bear to not look. The color was still in his face. He changed so quickly and grabbed me. At that point I wished he would have bitten me. That sickened me. I'm too weak. Travis would have done anything to keep me alive, and me not trying to survive would make him roll in his grave.

I remember how dumb I sounded. Asking if he could hear me. His blood coated my face, sweater, and yellow skirt. I must have cried, no, wailed. I couldn't bear it. I couldn't let him go. I didn't want to, but it was necessary.

_Crunch_

The sound of the leaves and twigs brought me back to the frigid reality of late fall. It had to be Clementine's tenth birthday soon. I really just wanted to stuff my bag full of new and unique leaves and take back to her. Oh wait, I got separated from her back in Savannah months ago.

I spent so much time on the coast of Georgia trying to find her, but I never did. Shivers went down my back at the though of her being dead, eaten, or worse. After Travis well... She was my sanity. Don't get me wrong, everyone in our group was great, but Clementine? She had a glowing spirit. Hell, I treated her like my own daughter by the time we all made it to the railroad.

I blame my age for losing her. I was only seventeen then. How was I supposed to take care of an eight year old? I let Lee down. I apologize to him every night I swear. At least I think I do. I can't tell when one night begins and ends from another.

I shivered as the breeze passed the tree trunks. I knelt down for just a second, to get the signature light blue and white, high school jacket out from my old JanSport backpack. Travis's jacket. It was blood stained and old, but warm. I put it on, zipped it up, and brought the collar to my nose, expecting Travis's scent to still be there. After over a year. God, I'm stupid sometimes.

I haven't eaten anything in days, most of the game was eaten by walkers and the plants and berries, all I could find, were dead or near dead because of the unusually cold weather this year. My vision has been blurred and my peripheral vision was almost gone. I need to rest.

I decided I'd make it to the edge of the forest before I took a rest since I haven't trudged a whole lot of miles lately, and I needed to head north before it was almost impossible to travel. As I reached a pretty rural, dirt road, I felt dizzy and out of breath.

I couldn't see to either side of me without turning my head left or right. Everything but what my pupil focused on was blurred. I felt sick.

I was sure I was going to vomit, I hunched over, putting my hands on my knees. Then I heard It - no, them. I heard the pained moans, but before I could turn all the way around, it was on top of me. My shin was the only think keeping me from getting bitten.

I screamed, expecting a sharp,burning pain in my neck, but instead blood showered over my face and body from the walker's now split head. I could barely make out anything at that point, I could have sworn I was dead.

My balance was off, way off, and I could barely feel someone lifting me off the ground. I just felt the warmth of someone's chest against my cheek. I heard the echoing crunch of leaves like people were running - with me in their arms. I felt cold and tired and I couldn't shake sleep. Everything went black during the commotion. I didn't care about anything at that point.

At least that's what I remember. Maybe I woke up. I couldn't even tell if I was dead or not at that point. I was just, you know, ready to see Travis.

_Still I rise._


	2. Chapter 2

I blacked out. When I opened my eyes, it was still pretty blurry. I looked up and saw this tall figure. I heard muffled voices as I started to gain my consciousness.

"Travis?" I mumbled softly. I must have been barely audible because the two people just looked at me and went back to the conversation. I guess they assumed it was creaking of old boards or something.

Why would I ask for Travis? I'm well aware he's gone. I know death is a permanent thing. I'm not oblivious to it, but that guy did have silhouette like Travis's. God, I really need to get him off my mind. Maybe some water would help, or better yet, food.

I pushed up on my elbows to sit myself up a little while the people were busy in their conversation. I didn't bother to listen let alone try to comprehend what they were talking about.

"Hey. Do you think you guys could-". All of a sudden I heard this horrible crack near my ear. One guy hit me with the butt of his gun right against my temple. I didn't even have time to react, I saw white spots, then nothing. All I heard was this high pitched ringing.

I woke up in a barred and boarded up room. I sat up, to be more realistic I tried to. I was really weak. I looked over and saw some food to my side, near the locked up door. I pulled myself as best as I could towards it.

I looked at it cautiously, making sure it wasn't bad or anything. I was so hungry though, I just started eating it frantically. Whatever it was, it tasted amazing. I heard someone walk in while I was eating and I looked up with a mouth full of beans.

"I see you're enjoying your meal. You looked like a baby deer surrounded by five grizzlies." A deep southern accent echoed through the room. The analogy was annoying as hell.

"I was dead meat. You could save your breath and just say that." I scowled over at him. My short tempered showed through.

"Better not strain yourself too much." He explained to me, crossing his arms over his navy blue, thick jacket. As he looked at me I furrowed my brow, which hurt like Hell. I moved my hand up to my face to feel a good sized lump on my left temple. It had to have given me a bruise all the way to the bridge of my nose. It was bleeding a bit, but I didn't care. I looked around for my backpack for the water and rag I had to clean it a bit, but it wasn't there.

"Where's my backpack?" I said sternly, my voice shaking.

"You won't be needing that now, you're perfectly safe." He gave me a small grin, uncrossing his arms into a more relaxed position.

"I'd rather have have it on me, thanks." I said. Boy, was my voice shaking. I didn't know if I was supposed to feel comforted or scared. I mean, I was locked in a room. "Let me out."

He just started leaving. I tried to make him turn around my shaking the door lightly. The cage rattled.

"Wait! What's your name?" I asked suddenly. He turned and didn't say a word at all.

I tried for two hours to open that fucking cage door. Nothing. I sat, leaning my head against the wall. I was tired. I was tired and helpless. I would have cried, but I was so dehydrated. I just couldn't. Which was even more frustrating.

I just closed my eyes, hoping that sleep would take over and I would forget about this situation for a while. My favorite part of this apocalyptic world was sleep. For a few seconds you just don't know anything. You don't even remember your name or what day it is. It's like euphoria.

I woke up to loud chopping noises hitting a table. I jumped a bit at the second chop. My vision cleared up pretty quickly compared to last time, but I did have a pounding headache. I gasped when I saw an arm fall in front of me though. Fuck the headache.

The same, nameless man looked over at me, hearing my gasp. He gave me this generous smile on his blood-splattered face. It was hard to keep eye contact. I was nervous and uncomfortable. I mean, who wouldn't be? A guy with a bullet through his head was being drawn and cut up for meat.

"Don't be nervous." I heard him say softly, unlocking my cage door. I started breathing quickly and backed myself into the wall. He grabbed my wrist as two other people cleared the table. I was pulled and tugged and thrown. I got pinned on the table. This was bad. I was stuck. With no help.

I suddenly felt a hand go around my neck. A cold, clammy hand. As I caught it in my line of vision, I pushed my upper back up as best I could and bit down on his palm. Hard. I heard tearing and crunching. I kept biting as he tried to shake me off. He ripped my off the table and I let go of his hand and hit the ground with a large thud.

It hurt. I smacked my head off the floor right on my left temple. Things went blurry, but if got up and ran, making a break for it. I barricaded the door they came in once I made it out if the room. There was banging; yelling; screaming. I found my backpack on the bottom shelf of a book case. I grabbed it quickly, put it on and started busting through doors. It was a maze. As I heard a loud bang of the door I barricaded being pushed down, I turned.

I ran into something cold and stiff and I nearly lost my balance. It didn't help that my head would was getting worse and worse. I looked up at what I ran into slowly, scared of what I had just touched.

I gasped, one of five lifeless bodies hanging by the ankles on meat hooks. I pushed the body to the right, seeing an opening in the rotten building.

Now or never, you can do this. I looked down and saw that it was a pretty good drop. The voices and foot steps were getting closer. I had to jump. My fear of heights can't take over my mind right now.

Bam. The door to the meat locker slammed open and two pretty good sized guys yelled that they had found me. I took a double take, wiggling my legs a bit before finally jumping. Yelping a bit as I hit the leave covered ground. The shock of hitting the ground hit my ankles for a second, but I was alright. Just extremely sore.

"It couldn't have been winter or anything. Where it would be like a pillow." I said to myself as I tried to catch my breath and run at full force at the same time.

I finally made it out to the forest - the pines. I was panting heavily and it was almost night fall again. Did I really run all day? I was amazed with myself. I wasn't the most athletic person in the world. I was more into the artsy crap. I took shelter under a large tree for the net. Where the ground wasn't too damp and the wind was blocked by brush and trunks of trees. I didn't bother making a fire that night. I didn't want to bring attention. They were probably still looking for me. So I cleaned myself up the best I could. Since my backpack was missing some good things I had, like a survival knife and most of my water.

I had to find something to defend myself with, or make something. One of the two decision. I figured I'd rest up, and keep up with where I was at before. Heading north and scavenging. Avoiding people as much as possible. After the events that happened with these cannibalistic bastards, I swore I would never trust anyone anymore and do things on my own. People are worse now than they ever were before.

**Three Months Later**

My breath showed in the frosty, early winter air. I held a map close to my chest. A trail map from a national park in Virginia. I followed this rough river for a few days before turning onto this remote trail. I found an abandoned camp site and foraged for some food. I swore I hear barking in the distance. A dog? No way it made it on its own for this long. So I packed a few cans of beans in my pack and a hand made shiv.

The bruise of my face healed up a lot since that encounter in the fall, but a pinkish-blue area was still visible on my temple. It was tender against me chilled air.

I shivered and kept up the trail for about a half an hour longer, until I came upon this well kept cabin. Now that would be a nice place to stay. It was dark and I didn't see any lights on in the cabin - at least not on the side I checked.

I snuck up on it, cautiously looking around as to not get my brains blow out by some scavenger mistaking me for a looter. I came up and pressed my back against the wooden wall of the house. As I took the first few steps around the house to the front door, I snapped a branch. I gasped and turned my head at the sound of two voices yelling at me.

It was dark and I could barely see them. They walked up to me slowly. I could hear their guns being loaded and readied to shoot me on sight. I couldn't say anything. It was like a lump in my throat.

All of a sudden a bright flashlight shown right in my eyes. I squinted and covered my eyes with my forearm and slowly took it down as my eyes started to get used to the light. I exposed my pale skin that was skinny, but smooth from not eating a full meal in weeks. My blonde hair blew a bit in the wind and my braid showed. My hair was tussled and long from not being groomed. The faint freckles on my face showed clearly as my green eyes squinted at the reflecting lights.

"Damn." Was all I heard from the taller of the two men. I looked at both of their shadows cautiously back and forth. I didn't want to be stuck in the same situation I was last fall, but I was too stiff with fear that I couldn't run. All that was heard out of me was my faint exhales as I stay there, frozen.


End file.
